Why Great Horned Owls And Crows Hate Each Other?

Introduction

Do you know which of the most interesting birds is seen in North America? They are the Great Horned Owl and the Crow. However, often, they come across one another. Both breeds occupy the same forests but differ in their living standards. The great horned owl is an excellent night hunter; no one could see this bird gliding through the air at night. It feeds on animals, from the size of rodents to other bird species they prey on. It is a killer, facilitated by large, sharp talons and incredible nighttime vision capabilities.

However, the crow is the bird of daylight or daytime. It is smaller in size but is very clever. Crows are social birds that will go to great lengths to protect themselves using group tactics. They dwell in groups and, therefore, effectively alert others of danger. The contrast in their habits and behaviors makes them fight a lot. But what is it that fuels this particular rivalry? We will share their rivalry by unveiling the secrets of two major rivals in North America's forests.

Basic Characteristics of the Great Horned Owl and Crows

Having the basic knowledge about these species is important. So, before we discuss how the two birds are different, let’s briefly examine the unique features of each one. 

Introduction to the Great Horned Owl

The Great Horned Owl is one of North America's largest and most powerful owl species. It’s called Great Horned because of the feathers on its head resembling horns. These tufts are not actual horns. However, apparent horn-like feathers are believed to be vital for Owls to perhaps communicate or hide in trees.

This owl is a night hunter, which means that while most other animals are out to search for food, this owl hunts at night. Big round eyes give it good night vision, while the wings are adapted to making almost no sound when in flight. This makes it possible for the owl to ambush its prayer. Their diet comprises several animals, such as rabbits, mice, and crows. Its powerful claws allow it to catch and thereby kill its prey quickly; it is one of the leading predators on roofs of forests.

Experimental Data

Scientists have studied Great-Horned Owls extensively, analyzing their undigested remains or pellets. One investigation concluded that the owls had eaten many crow species and other animals. This evidence shows how nimble and deadly the owl is, especially for small birds such as the crow.

Characteristics of Crows

It is also important to note that crows are not as big as owls but are much smarter than their more formidable brethren. These are some of the most intelligent birds in the world. Crows know problem-solving skills. They can recognize the faces of individuals and use utensils to obtain food. It is a deeply social bird which is generally found in flocks. This form of cultural setting keeps them secure because everyone within the structure works to shield the other from harm.

Crows are also notorious for their ability to screech, which they use to alert the other crows of the presence of a predator. At the first sight of danger, one crow is expected to make calls that warn the rest of the birds. The rest of the birds chase the intruder or defend the region against the invader.

Example of Collective Defense

In the study, scientists wished to observe a crow’s reaction to an imitated Great Horned Owl and put it in the park. In less than 5 minutes, the mock owl was surrounded by 4-5 crows and started trying to kill the fake bird. This "mobbing" phenomenon demonstrates cooperative behavior when crows group up and defend themselves from an owl predator. 

The Rivalry Between the Great Horned Owl and Crows

Great Horned Owls and Crows have always conflicted because they have different activities and behaviors that contribute to their existence.

Why Do They Hate Each Other?

The rivalry between Great Horned Owls and Crows comes from their differences in lifestyle and survival strategies.

Owls Preying on Crows

Among the Great Horned Owls, crows were viewed mainly as food. As nocturnal birds, owls have fixed their feeding habits on surprising crows while resting on the nest. Because of this, the owl can grab crows and other birds with great force, which subsequently strangles them to death. As a result, the crow becomes an ideal prey for the owl.

Supporting Data

When scientists conducted a study to determine what the Great Horned Owls fed on, they found crow feathers and bones in pellets taken from them in a ratio of 10%. This proves that crows are part of the owl’s diet. For that reason, crows consider them to be their main threat.

Crows’ Retaliatory Behavior

Crows are not powerless, though. The crow has been observed to respond to its spotting of an owl by emitting shrill calls intended to alert other crows. So, after some time, the flock gathers and attacks the owl. This behavior is called ’’mobbing’’. Crows swoop down on the owl, attack the owl with their beak, and attempt to drive it away.

Real Case

In California, more than thirty crows attacked a Great Horned Owl intruder in their area. In this story, the crows cooperate and shoo the owl away from their place. This illustrated how much crows can harness their efforts to achieve a common goal when they are so determined.

Ecological Reasons for the Hostility

The conflict between these birds is about hunting and defense and their positions in the ecosystem.

Predator and Competitor Relationship

The Great Horned Owls and crows inhabit part of the forests to feed on similar prey, including small mammals and birds. This makes them compete with each other. Owls are larger and thus are capable of preying on crows, making them more dangerous. Crows do whatever they can to defend themselves and their resources or lodging whenever they see an owl.

Territorial Defense

Crows are very territorial. When an owl enters their surroundings, they view it as threatening their nests and food sources. It is bred by a family of birds that seeks to attack the owl in an attempt to guard its nest. However, owls are comparatively small and active at night when crows are asleep, so it is impossible to see them together.

The Process of Great Horned Owls Preying on Crows

Crows are a favorite of the Great Horned Owls, as they feed heavily on them through night vision and hunting tactics to attack their roosts, but crows have been known to employ formation attacks to chase away the owls. Let’s look into the details:

Predation Behavior

As we discussed earlier, these owls are very effective in hunting at night. Their large eyes are suited to low light; an immature eagle can see an intended prey, including the crow, at night. Owls are also capable of feeling and hearing, which aids them in identifying their targets in complete darkness in the evening. Hunters have discovered that an owl will spread and flap its large wings to become virtually soundless in the air. This helps capture prey that has not been alerted by the noise made by the predator. In this case, crows can hardly notice the owl.

Experimental Data

According to recent studies, these Great Horned Owls have perfect vision, especially at night. They act at night and have five times as many rod cells in their eyes as the diurnal birds do. This is an added advantage when hunting, especially at night, because they have the advantage of sight. According to a study by Williams et al. (2017), owls’ vision is adapted to detect even the slightest movement at night, allowing them to spot crows while roosting.

Crows' Counterattack Strategies

Since the prey of owls includes crows, they have devised several strategies to avoid or counter this bird. According to the study, if a crow is attacked, it produces ultrasonic calls. These calls are used to make other crows within the area realize that they are in dangerous territory. It also intends to demonstrate that once the fellows of a crow hear about the call of the threatened bird, they immediately come to support it. Thus, crowds have to sit tight due to the unity of their social group members for protection.

A group of crows will mob the owl and chase it, each crow coming in to get a go at the owl. Such attacks may include pecking at the owl, diving, and shooing the bird out of the area. Gang attacks make it very hard for the owl to defend itself, mainly because during the day, crows attack large groups in an organized manner.

Example

In one of the field observations of the crows, over 20 crows were watched as they chased and overpowered an adult Great Horned Owl. According to Anderson (2015), the crows engaged the owl in a fight and followed it until the owl was almost tired. This quite a rare but significant event depicts that combined against one predator, the crows can sometimes offset the owl's talents.

Ecological Significance of Their Rivalry

Great Horned Owls and crows compete to reduce overpopulation and share a responsible impact on ecosystems and their surrounding environments. Now let’s see the significance below:

Natural Balance

The predation of crows by owls helps maintain a balanced population of crows in the forest. Even though there are no natural food control mechanisms, such as owls, to control the crow, this will lead to crowing overcrowding and exhaustion of resources on the ground. Thus, owls hunting for crows keep their numbers limited so that an increase in crow population will not threaten the other species in that ecosystem.

In the same regard, aggression by crows also contributes to population control of owls and other birds of the night. Through mobbing the owls, crows reduce the owls’ foraging efficiency, resulting in restricted foraging zones, mainly in the morning when the crows dominate the owls. This construction allows the two species to regularly dominate each other so that there can be no complete control by one party over the other.

Behavioral Evolution

The ecological pressure has led these two birds to develop the behaviors as they always compete. Crows are brilliant birds that form social networks to protect themselves in large groups. This enhances their survival probabilities, thus making them a strong force against such predators. Crows’ ability to organize and fight as a group is a key adaptation that has allowed them to thrive in many different environments.

Horned Owls, however, have developed better hunting skills than their prey. Their features have developed from the force of the crows used in hunting techniques and escape from being attacked. These adaptations give them an edge in predation, but the other way around, aggression from the crows has influenced the strategies of the owls.

Example

In the ten-year study by Brown and Smith (2020), the success of the masses of crows was enhanced through their emergent behavior. The study also indicated that such social strategies heightened crow’s competence in the ecosystem systems they inhabit. Through cooperation, crows could protect their area and the food source, and therefore, they would survive in the community despite many predators, such as the Great Horned Owl.

Conclusion

The conflict between the Great Horned Owls and crows shows how, in nature, some counterbalance each other to keep each other in check. The two birds have a symbiotic relationship despite the differences in size and hunting methods. These two birds affect each other’s survival and development.

Crows are prey to owls, but in the form of a defense mechanism, they form a team, meaning even the smallest animals can resist mighty forces. These antagonist interactions naturally control both species' numbers and prompt specific behavior. In so doing, we unravel the dynamics of life as evidenced by the various species we constantly encounter in our physically scoped environment created by our creator.